We are excited to announce that we have added the popular Farm X-Back Chairs in Antique finish to our chair inventory at Chiavari Chairs 4 Rent! These farm chairs would be perfect for both indoor and outdoor weddings and add an upscale rustic style to your next special event.

Don’t forget about our chiavari chairs that add elegance to any social event! They are available in 6 different colors – Gold, Silver, Mahogany, Fruitwood, White and Black. We have 5 cushion colors to choose from – Ivory, Damask, White, Black, Burgundy – which are included with the chair rental.

Here are some great examples of how lighting can transform any room and how to dress up an airwall room divider with lighting. These photos were taken at the Clubhouse at Anaheim Hills, a great location to have a wedding or any social event. Photos by Stefani Welsh.

Easter Sunday wedding at the Hyatt Regency Long Beach. Chris & Miyuki were such a fun couple to work with, congratulations to them on their wedding! We provided the DJ, Drape, Lighting and Photo Booth. Photography by Stefani Welsh.

After 25 years of being in the wedding and special events industry, I have visited a good majority of locations here in Southern California, as well as planning my own wedding and helping couples, friends and family find their dream venue. There have been a lot of questions from couples, vendors and my own curiosity about the industry. Our industry is constantly changing and evolving, and it’s important to stay on top of issues that affect planning a wedding.

As a newly engaged couple, it can be extremely stressful when choosing a venue without knowing the proper questions to ask. Choosing a venue is one of the crucial steps in wedding planning. It’s important to have a wedding date and a venue chosen before hiring other vendors such as myself to be a part of your wedding team. My job as a vendor is to ensure that my couples have the least amount of stress on their most important day. Keep in mind, this is just my opinion and my suggestions from my experience of being in the industry for 25 years. When you are looking for venues, the following are things you should consider and questions you should ask a wedding venue before you book.

Come up with a budget

Come up with a guest list; find out how many guests your venue will hold

Determine geographically where you want your wedding venue to be (Orange County, LA, San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino). Then ask yourself if you want to be by the beach, mountains, desert or destination. Then determine if you want a hotel, country club, hall, restaurant, banquet hall, park or private residence

Figure out if you want your ceremony at the same place as your reception or if you want to get married in a church or park or the County Courthouse

If you are having your ceremony at the reception venue, ask if there is a ceremony site fee. Also ask if they allow you to do a rehearsal, if there is a fee and who will be present to conduct the rehearsal.

What is included in the ceremony set up (i.e., chairs, microphone, music, sound system, etc.)

Always ask up front what their food and beverage minimum is and any additional fees that are assessed, such as corking fees, cake cutting fees, audio visual or power needs, gratuity, tax, service fees or any type of rigging fees.

Ask if there is a list of all items that are included in each pricing package such as tables, linens, floor length linens, etc.

Is there a discounted rate for a block of rooms for out of town guests? Is there a wedding suite included for the wedding night?

If your venue is not a hotel, do they have a hotel they partner with for a block of rooms for guests

Ask about valet parking, validated parking or where guests will park

Are there any off season discounts or a discount for Friday, Sundays or weddings during the day before 4:30 p.m.?

Find out who will be your on-site contact on the day of your wedding (sales and catering director, banquet captain, etc.)

Are there any noise ordinances (such as from the city, hotel guests, neighbors) or if music must be turned off at a certain time

Does your venue have Wifi and are the guests and vendors able to use it? If it’s not free, what is the fee?

Are you allowed to have open flame candles on guest tables and sweetheart tables, as a part of your decor/centerpieces?

Ask how flexible your reception venue is for vendors setting up and breaking down; some only give you 2 hours for set up and 1 hour for breakdown depending on the venue’s event schedule

Does the venue allow more than one wedding in a day in your room.

What is required to secure the date and when is the final headcount and final balance due? Is there any security or clean up deposit due?

Go with venues who are willing to go that extra mile for you, who are accommodating, who want your business and who will do everything in their power to make sure your wedding is a complete success.

If you have any questions or are in need of additional resources, feel free to send us an e-mail at mike@carcanodj.com.

We are fortunate and blessed to continue and grow each year and 2017 was no exception. We were once again awarded WeddingWire’s Couple Choice Award based on reviews written by our clients. Our DJ and lighting services remain strong while we expanded our services to include dance floors and more draping options to meet the needs of our clients. Our photo booth company, Capture Photo Booths, had an amazing year providing photo booth services for weddings, corporate events, bar & bat mitzvahs and parties. Cheers to a great 2017 and looking forward to seeing what 2018 has in store. Here are some of our favorite photos from 2017.